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Mosquito-Borne Disease Guidebook
Vector-Borne Disease Surveillance Coordinator
- 850-901-6887
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Fax
850-414-6894 -
Division of Disease Control and Health Protection
4052 Bald Cypress Way
Bin A-12
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1720
Florida Mosquito-Borne Disease Guide
This series of documents establish guidelines for detecting and monitoring mosquito-borne diseases and minimizing the risk of human infection. The information contained herein describes agency coordination and responsibilities in the control of mosquito-borne diseases and explains the components of the state surveillance system and responses to identified disease activity, which will assure that appropriate prevention and control methods are initiated promptly and effectively. These documents are updated on an as needed basis and the date of the last update is included for each section. Select a chapter for a summary. Glossary of Terms
Chapter 1. Roles and Responsibilities of Involved Agencies
Control of arthropod-borne diseases in Florida is coordinated through interagency cooperation at the state and local levels. Intensification of surveillance and initiation of control measures occur in response to evidence of increased transmission in nature. Different agencies become involved at various times during routine surveillance. Therefore, a crucial part of a good surveillance program is to disseminate information to the proper agencies and persons.
Interagency Arbovirus Task Force Contacts
Chapter last updated: February 18, 2019
Chapter 2. Overview of Select Zoonotic Mosquito-Borne Viruses in Florida
The following document provides information on select zoonotic mosquito-borne viruses in Florida. Information on St. Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV), West Nile virus (WNV), and Eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) is included, as well as additional zoonotic arboviruses of interest.
Chapter last updated: February 18, 2019
Chapter 3. Overview of Select Exotic Mosquito-Borne Viruses with Primary or Occasional Human Reservoirs
In addition to the arboviruses that are endemic to the United States, several exotic arboviruses of public health importance are transmitted between people by mosquitoes. These viruses present a risk of introduction by an infected traveler or immigrant. Dengue fever, Zika fever, chikungunya fever, yellow fever, and Rift Valley fever are some examples of these exotic arboviruses and are summarized in the following document.
Chapter last updated: February 18, 2019
Chapter 4. Guide to Surveillance and Investigation of Zoonotic Mosquito-Borne Viruses
Response
The County Health Department (CHD) Epidemiology Guide to Disease Surveillance and Investigation, an online resource, is designed to maintain standard disease investigation, control, prevention and reporting across the state regardless of CHD location and assists CHD epidemiology staff by providing detailed guidance related to the investigation, control, and prevention of general categories of reportable disease.
This chapter serves as a guide for the surveillance and investigation of zoonotic mosquito-borne viruses.
Chapter last updated: October 30, 2018
Chapter 5. Guide to Surveillance and Investigation of Dengue Fever and Chikungunya Fever
The County Health Department (CHD) Epidemiology Guide to Disease Surveillance and Investigation, an online resource, is designed to maintain standard disease investigation, control, prevention and reporting across the state regardless of CHD location and assists CHD epidemiology staff by providing detailed guidance related to the investigation, control, and prevention of general categories of reportable disease.
This chapter serves as a guide for the surveillance and investigation of dengue fever and chikungunya fever.
Chapter last updated: October 30, 2018
Chapter 6. Guide to Surveillance and Investigation of Zika Virus Infection
The County Health Department (CHD) Epidemiology Guide to Disease Surveillance and Investigation, an online resource, is designed to maintain standard disease investigation, control, prevention and reporting across the state regardless of CHD location and assists CHD epidemiology staff by providing detailed guidance related to the investigation, control, and prevention of general categories of reportable disease.
This chapter serves as a guide for the surveillance and investigation of Zika virus disease and infection.
Chapter last updated: January 8, 2019
Chapter 7. Guide to Surveillance and Investigation of Yellow Fever
The County Health Department (CHD) Epidemiology Guide to Disease Surveillance and Investigation, an online resource, is designed to maintain standard disease investigation, control, prevention and reporting across the state regardless of CHD location and assists CHD epidemiology staff by providing detailed guidance related to the investigation, control, and prevention of general categories of reportable disease.
This chapter serves as a guide for the surveillance and investigation of yellow fever.
Chapter last updated: December 4, 2018
Chapter 8. Malaria
The following document provides background information on malaria, a mosquito-borne disease caused by a parasite. Approximately 200 million of the world’s population are infected each year and around half a million people die from malaria annually. Although malaria is no longer endemic in Florida, it is often seen in travelers returning to the state from malaria-endemic regions of the world.
Chapter last updated: February 18, 2019
Chapter 9. Human Mosquito-Borne Disease Surveillance
This chapter provides additional information on human mosquito-borne diseases surveillance activities in Florida that are not covered in depth in the guides for surveillance and investigation. Please refer to the Guide for Surveillance and Investigation of Zoonotic Mosquito-Borne Virus and the Guides for Surveillance and Investigation of Chikungunya, Dengue, Yellow Fever, and Zika for more detailed information on surveillance and response to arboviruses of public health importance in Florida.
This chapter provides information on non-human mosquito-borne disease monitoring activities in Florida.
Chapter last updated: February 18, 2019
Chapter 10. Non-Human Mosquito-Borne Disease Monitoring Activities
The ideal mosquito-borne surveillance program measures the amount of viral amplification and transmission in nature and reliably provides information on the risk of human disease. A complete surveillance program consists of monitoring arboviral seroconversion rates in sentinel chickens, weather patterns, the abundance of vector and amplification host species, and the incidence of human and animal disease. The ultimate goal of surveillance is to increase our ability to predict when and where arboviral transmission to humans is likely to occur so that vector and disease control activities can be implemented prior to the beginning of an epidemic. Continuous local surveillance is also invaluable in monitoring both the progress and the cessation of periods of epidemic risk to humans.
This chapter provides information on non-human mosquito-borne disease monitoring activities in Florida.
Chapter last updated: February 18, 2019
Chapter 11. Florida Department of Health Response Plan for Mosquito-Borne Diseases
Mosquito-borne disease cycles are complex and often involve multiple mosquito species and several vertebrate host species including humans. Virus transmission can be sporadic (spatially and temporally dispersed) or focal (spatially and temporally isolated). This response plan for mosquito-borne diseases is intended for use by county health department public information officers and mosquito control districts. The plan can also be used regionally for adjoining counties with similar habitats and ecologies, but it is not a response plan for the state as a whole.
Chapter last updated: February 4, 2022
Chapter 12. Public Education
Education messages should be targeted to at-risk populations (example: emphasize high risk of St. Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV) and West Nile virus (WNV) illness for homeless and the elderly) in low-literacy forms and in languages appropriate to the local population. Media should be used, including radio, newspaper, and television public service announcements.
Chapter last updated: February 18, 2019
Appendices
Disease Specific Resources
Chikungunya Virus
Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus
Dengue Virus
Malaria
- Information for Clinicians
- Fact Sheet for Immigrants (English)
- Fact Sheet for Immigrants (Spanish)
- Fact Sheet for Immigrants (Creole)
St. Louis Encephalitis Virus
West Nile Virus
Yellow Fever Virus
Zika Virus
County Resources
Case Report Forms
- Confidential Vector-Borne Disease Infection Case Report Form and Instructions
- Zika Fever Case Report Form
- Confidential Malaria Infection Case Addendum and Instructions
Sample Submission Resources
- BPHL Specimen Submission Form DH1847
- West Nile Fever and Neuroinvasive Disease - Clinical Sample Submission Guidelines
- Dengue Fever and Chikungunya Fever - Clinical Sample Submission Guidelines
- Zika Fever - Clinical Sample Submission Guidelines
- Malaria Testing and Shipping Procedures
Investigation Resources
- OneBlood Strategy to Protect Blood Supply From Mosquito-Borne Disease
- Guide for Local Zika Investigations and Community Surveys
- Zika Incident Response Playbook
- Point-of-Contact Expectations for Pregnant Women and Infants with Zika
- Zika Point-of-Contact Communitcation Tool
- Healthy Start Coalition Directory
- Early Steps Directory
Press Release Templates
- Mosquito-Borne Illness Advisories (English)
- Mosquito-Borne Illness Alerts (English)
- Mosquito-Borne Illness Advisories (Spanish)
- Mosquito-Borne Illness Alerts (Spanish)
- Lifting Mosquito-Borne Illness Advisories
- Sample Hurricane Fact Sheet for Mosquito-Borne Illness
- Mosquito-Borne Illness Awareness (English)
- Mosquito and Tick Bite Prevention (English)
General Resources
Veterinarian Resources
Case Report Form
Sample Submission Resources
Mosquito Control Resources
General Resources
- Mosquito Control – Environmental Assessment Form
- Dengue/Chikungunya Vector Management Plan in Urban Environments
- Control of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus Toolbox
- Agreed Protocol for Reporting Arbovirus Human Cases to Mosquito Control Jurisdictions by County Health Departments
- Florida Mosquito Control Arbovirus Response Plan - West Nile Virus
Sentinel Chicken Resources
- Contacts for Establishing Sentinel Chicken Flocks
- Serum Submittal Guidelines for the Sentinel Chicken Surveillance Program
- Serology Request Form - Sentinel Chickens
- Sentinel Chicken Testing Flow Chart
- Infection Control and Personal Protective Equipment Guidelines for Persons Involved in Surveillance, Eradication, and Control of Avian Influenza Outbreaks in Birds in Florida
Other Environmental Surveillance Resources
*Note: This page contains materials in the Portable Document Format (PDF). The free Acrobat Reader may be required to view these files.
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